MAKING THEM SAFE
The Making Them Safe Project is based in Whyalla and is a combination of an Emergency/Respite Accommodation service and a Community Well Being Program.
AFSS has secured an ex South Australian Housing Trust duplex property that will be developed to provide suitable accommodation for Aboriginal children and young people requiring short term care and a base for AFSS to provide a Community Wellbeing Program.
Emergency/Respite Accommodation House
There are times when emergency care is required to ensure Aboriginal children and young people entering the out of home care system are placed in a safe and culturally appropriate placement. It is often difficult to place these children with AFSS current pool of general foster carers as the foster carers are either caring for other children in care or do not live in the local community.
The Emergency/Respite House will have foster carers who live at the property 24/7 who able to provide emergency care when required. The foster carers are supported by AFSS staff and provided with respite options when required. The Emergency/Respite house would be able to care for up to 3 children at any one time. There is flexibility to exceed three children if it ensures siblings requiring care are placed together. The property also will be furnished to provide a respite option particularly for larger sibling groups that may be separated whilst in care.
Benefits of the Emergency/Respite House
Care options in the Whyalla area are very limited at present. AFSS have currently three carers in the Whyalla area that provide a blend of respite, emergency, short term and long term placements. Many times due to the limited number of carers there is a need to refer the child or young person requiring care to
• a non- Aboriginal Alternative Carer provider (Centacare) or
• to an AFSS carer who lives in Pt Augusta, Pt Pirie or metropolitan Adelaide
Both of these options are not in the best needs of the child and is not supported by the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle which encourages Aboriginal children and young people requiring care to be placed firstly with
• extended family then
• significant community members then
• Aboriginal foster cares outside of the child’s community and as
• a last resort with
• A non Aboriginal foster carer supported by a non Aboriginal
• Alternative Care Service Provider.
The Emergency/Respite house will provide the Whyalla Aboriginal community a safe and culturally appropriate care option than the child or young person staying in a hotel room or being removed from their local community. The Emergency/Respite house will be modeled on a successful program that AFSS is currently running in Pt Augusta.
The Emergency/Respite house will be a short term option that in most cases will not exceed 28 days. If a longer term care option is required AFSS will use the 28 day period to investigate suitable extended family and or community options or recruit specifically to suit the Child or young person’s needs.
Community Well Being Program
Benefits of the Community Well Being Program
The CWB programs provides AFSS with a culturally strong program that dovetails and adds value to the existing Alternative Care services that AFSS provide in the Whyalla area. The program assists and supports families to strengthen their parenting and interpersonal skills to keep their families and ultimately their community together.
The CWB program relies heavily on the local community to ensure the programs are adapted and delivered in a culturally appropriate manner for the region.
The CWB program will include
• Nunga Parenting
• Adult/Child Play
• Men’s Group
The CWB Program is a sustainable program with the individual programs having the capacity to be adapted and offered in any region
The individual programs have proactive and preventative approaches that address the need to “get in early”.  They have a holistic approach and address the social and environmental determinants of Wellbeing including:
• food/diet,
• housing,
• unemployment,
• parenting issues
• supporting the family

relationship issues (parent/child & adult/adult) 

The Programs have an Aboriginal community and family approach, that addresses the  need to empower Aboriginal Communities and families to strengthen the skills families/individuals already possess.
AFSS realizes the importance of the community taking a shared responsibility for the safety of their children and families. CWB programs have been developed for community members to cofacilitate with AFSS staff with the view the community takes ownership of the program. AFSS provides all facilitator notes, course outlines and unlimited peer support. Each CWB program is licensed ensuring AFSS retain the integrity of the program and its delivery to the community.